New FX series to film in Wilmington

Published: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 5:50 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 at 5:50 p.m.

A new FX comedy pilot will film in April in Wilmington, the network announced Tuesday.

While speaking Tuesday at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf announced that Michael Cera ("Superbad," 'Arrested Development") and John Hawkes ("Lincoln," "The Sessions") have signed on to star in "How & Why," a half-hour pilot written and directed by Academy Award-winning writer Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") that tells the story of a man who can tell how and why a nuclear reactor works but is otherwise clueless about life.

Hawkes will star as Goodman Hesselman, the host of a "How & Why" television show, who, after losing his passion for the program, gets replaced by a younger host and retreats to a different town to launch a similar show of less stature.

The series will mark Hawkes' return to Wilmington. He filmed several episodes of HBO's "Eastbound and Down" in the region over the course of the show's four-season run.

FX's Landgraf said North Carolina's tax incentives and Wilmington's locations both played roles in bringing the work here.

"I think all things being equal it's about location," Landgraf said. "But 'all things being equal' means what are the states that have meaningful incentives that will allow you to achieve a certain scope of production and price. Without the incentive, we wouldn't be there. With it, then it essentially becomes a conversation about geography and topography. And then the location competes and wins on the merits."

The show is going for an upstate New York feel, and "Wilmington had the right look because of the small town suburban feel that it's got," Landgraf said.

Though the network has only committed to a pilot so far, Landgraf was optimistic about the show continuing to film in North Carolina if it goes to series.

"I think we could," he said. "If it goes forward, I'd like to."

That may still be a ways off. Even if the network wants more, Landgraf said the plan would be for Kaufman to write all 10 episodes before any more filming would begin. Then the season would be filmed "like a long movie, essentially," Landgraf said.

The pilot, which was ordered by the network last March, joins a slew of projects that have announced their plans to film in the Port City this spring.

On Monday, Fox President Kevin Reilly said that the locally filmed series "Sleepy Hollow" will begin production on its second season in March. Later that night, the show's producers clarified that while writing and pre-production may start that soon, filming is more likely to start around May.

ABC's newest series "Secrets & Lies," working on a 10-episode order, also will begin filming early this spring, but no official start date has been announced.

Previously announced was the second season production of CBS' "Under the Dome," which opened offices at EUE/Screen Gems this week and will begin production in early March.

<p>A new FX comedy pilot will film in April in Wilmington, the network announced Tuesday.</p><p>While speaking Tuesday at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, FX Networks CEO John Landgraf announced that Michael Cera ("Superbad," 'Arrested Development") and John Hawkes ("Lincoln," "The Sessions") have signed on to star in "How & Why," a half-hour pilot written and directed by Academy Award-winning writer Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") that tells the story of a man who can tell how and why a nuclear reactor works but is otherwise clueless about life. </p><p>Hawkes will star as Goodman Hesselman, the host of a "How & Why" television show, who, after losing his passion for the program, gets replaced by a younger host and retreats to a different town to launch a similar show of less stature. </p><p>The series will mark Hawkes' return to Wilmington. He filmed several episodes of HBO's "Eastbound and Down" in the region over the course of the show's four-season run. </p><p>FX's Landgraf said North Carolina's tax incentives and Wilmington's locations both played roles in bringing the work here. </p><p>"I think all things being equal it's about location," Landgraf said. "But 'all things being equal' means what are the states that have meaningful incentives that will allow you to achieve a certain scope of production and price. Without the incentive, we wouldn't be there. With it, then it essentially becomes a conversation about geography and topography. And then the location competes and wins on the merits." </p><p>The show is going for an upstate New York feel, and "Wilmington had the right look because of the small town suburban feel that it's got," Landgraf said.</p><p>Though the network has only committed to a pilot so far, Landgraf was optimistic about the show continuing to film in North Carolina if it goes to series.</p><p>"I think we could," he said. "If it goes forward, I'd like to."</p><p>That may still be a ways off. Even if the network wants more, Landgraf said the plan would be for Kaufman to write all 10 episodes before any more filming would begin. Then the season would be filmed "like a long movie, essentially," Landgraf said.</p><p>The pilot, which was ordered by the network last March, joins a slew of projects that have announced their plans to film in the Port City this spring.</p><p>On Monday, Fox President Kevin Reilly said that the locally filmed series "Sleepy Hollow" will begin production on its second season in March. Later that night, the show's producers clarified that while writing and pre-production may start that soon, filming is more likely to start around May.</p><p>ABC's newest series "Secrets & Lies," working on a 10-episode order, also will begin filming early this spring, but no official start date has been announced.</p><p>Previously announced was the second season production of CBS' "Under the Dome," which opened offices at EUE/Screen Gems this week and will begin production in early March.</p><p><i></p><p>Hunter Ingram: 343-2327</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @WilmonFilm</i></p>